Nerds in Low Places
by 8belles
Summary: Oliver has invited Felicity to parties- but now it was time for Felicity to give Oliver a taste of what it was like to be around HER friends in HER social setting. In her comfort zone she's not a babbler, but a cosplaying, Star Wars loving, Nerd! Poor Oliver may hobnob with the rich and famous, but Felicity hangs with the smart and geeky. Some Fluff too...
1. Chapter 1

Nerds in Low Places

Felicity had just finished compiling data for Oliver's next round of hits, a few bankers and lawyers doing some insider trading with public funds, when her cell phone rang. Oliver stopped doing his inverted abdominal crunches from a pull up bar suspended ten feet in the air and hung like a bat upside down letting his arms dangle. His eyes were closed but his ears were fully functional.

She picked up the phone as the last chime of " The Superman Theme" played, " Hello?" She knew who it was from the tone; her main partner in crime at work, Mark.

" Felicity! What's going on?" Marc replied easily. She could hear the sound of rock music in the background.

" Not much. Just finishing up some work." she returned and knew where he was and who he was probably with.

"Hey, wanna catch up with a beer? We're at the Cantina." Marc replied between a sip.

Felicity peeked around her flat screen at Oliver, who was still hanging upside down like Luke Skywalker in _Empire Strikes Back_. For a moment she wondered if he'd like to go with her. After all, she had been invited to several shindigs of his, one that got a bomb around her neck, but a party never the less. He'd never seen her side of life. Action got the best of her, " Mind if I bring someone?"

" Is it a girl?" Marc asked with mock longing. She heard some other male chuckles on the other end.

" No. I'm the **only **girl _you_ are friends with because you are such a geek." Felicity shot back.

"Sure. I guess." Marc replied sullenly. Felicity always thought Marc may have had a thing for her, but she chalked it up to being virtually the only woman in the IT department. Queen Consolidated was not up on diversity hiring.

" Ok. Be there soon." she replied and hung up. A few well-placed clicks later she was shutting down. She walked around to his work out area and faced him as he hung from the bar. His head was only slightly higher than hers, " Oliver, are you busy tonight?"

He opened his azure eyes and upside down it was very unnerving. She felt the urge to babble but clamped her jaw muscles," Sure where to?" he asked with a smile as if he was pleased he made her flustered.

" The Cantina. A little place we- the IT department- like to hang out." she replied wishing he'd come down from his current perch.

As if he read her mind, he curled upward in a fluid motion, grabbed the bar, unhooking his legs and gently landed in front of her still glistening with sweat, scars glowing balefully. Felicity's logical self was slowly getting immune to this, but her womanly self had not. He reached for a towel and wiped his face, " Sure. Give me a minute to clean up."

" Sure." she said almost inaudibly and watched him retreat to the shower. Cursing herself she patted her cheeks to get her mind off his skin and what it may have felt like. While she waited she combed her Facebook, noting a lack of real meaningful activity. _Why am I not surprised, my life is work and vigilante work_, she chided herself, _common denominator: too much work_!

Oliver was intrigued, as he had been hanging there. He never heard Felicity mention any friends before. _I guess when you work as hard as she does, your friends__** are**__ your coworkers_, he pondered. The water was soothing to his muscles as he showered, but his mind was curious about Marc. Was he into Felicity? Stopping himself, he wondered, _why do I care_? He got no reply but decided to keep his thoughts quiet for the remainder of his shower and dressing.

Felicity was looking still at her smartphone when Oliver appeared in a grey V-neck t-shirt and jeans, hair still wet from the shower. "Ready to go?" he asked and she jumped, being absorbed in whatever she was reading.

She looked him over and decided it was satisfactory, " Your car or mine?"

Oliver gave her a sly smile, " You drive."

" Am I your DD?" she replied with an edge. She hated driving home tipsy friends especially when they were your boss.

" No. Just I don't want to overwhelm your pals." he replied.

" Oh. You think you're going to make a big splash here? We'll see." Felicity scoffed and followed him up the stairs.


	2. Chapter 2

**AUTHORS NOTE: I live in Louisville KY which is the Horse Racing Capitol of the U.S. It's Derby Week, which means you probably won't see much of me after this chapter. Don't despair, I won't leave it unfinished. Thanks- 8Belles (my handle name is of a filly who died at the track on Oaks Day- the day of races before the Derby a few years back.) **

Nerds in Low Places ch 2

" So who are these people?"Oliver asked casually trying to get comfortable in the front seat of Felicity's Mini Cooper.

Keeping her eyes on the road to prevent her from second guessing herself in bringing him along, she replied, " Just some guys from work."

"Guys?" Felicity could hear the smile in Oliver's voice as he prodded her.

Feeling her forehead curling down into a frown of defense she replied tersely, "You know, not a lot of women chose IT as a career."

"That's a shame. They could use more beautiful, intelligent women like you." he concluded and she felt her cheeks grow warm.

" Thanks. But these are just the guys I work with."Felicity replied and glanced at him. He had his elbow propped on the door, head in hand looking at her, which made him look very cute.

" So I should discuss computer things?" he rejoined now gazing out the window at the storefronts passing by in the dark.

" I wouldn't if I were you." Felicity warned, " You've been out of the loop for a long time."

" Doesn't mean I don't know what's going down on the Internet!" Oliver sounded slightly indignant.

Felicity said nothing but gave him a long sarcastic look of "Really?" Oliver pouted and decided to stay silent.

The Cantina had a flavor all its own that was hard to pin down to a genre. As they exited the car, Oliver heard late 1980's rock performed by a live band. It had a lively tempo and he thought it was an AC/DC tune. They paid the cover to a scary bouncer in Nirvana plaid and entered the building. Felicity let her eyes adjust to the dim light and scanned the room of scattered tables for her friends. They saw her first and waved. A smile sprang to her lips because she really did enjoy the company of her fellow IT-ers. It was so easy to be themselves and not have to worry if someone didn't know what an IP address was or a root directory.

Oliver followed a half step behind Felicity, not wanting to intrude upon their greetings. Marc, a chestnut haired man of Oliver's height, stood and gave her a hug and then a gentle pull on her ever-present pony tail. Felicity laughed and gave him a soft punch in the shoulder, the expression on her face Queen had never seen before. He noticed Marc filled out his t-shirt well because the message "I'm here because you broke something" was easy to read across his chest.

Another man at the table was a much thinner, lankier man with a long greying ponytail reminiscent of Jerry Garcia but thinner, who gave Felicity a more polite hug around the shoulders. Oliver noticed a wedding ring on the man's hand and Felicity was more 'dad' affectionate towards him. The third man was heavier, the stereotypical computer geek with glasses, and an infectious smile. Felicity greeted him last and to Queen, he looked very brotherly towards her.

After all three men had greeted Felicity, they simultaneously turned to look at Oliver almost like they were Borg. Marc puffed out his chest a bit; skinny Jerry Garcia-look-a-like appeared to know who he was but kept his mouth shut and bro-guy crossed his arms over his chest like a defensive reflex. " So, who's your friend, Felicity?" Marc asked with an edge in his voice.

Felicity glanced at Oliver briefly and then said to her pals, " This is Oliver. Oliver this is Marc, Bill and Tom."

" Oliver. As in Queen?" the lanky man named Bill asked.

" Pleased to meet all of you." Oliver said diplomatically pulling his social grace-face down like a mask. He shook hands with each noting that Marc definitely seemed to chip on his shoulder.

They all sat down with Felicity between Oliver and Marc. " Felicity, I ordered you your favorite." Marc said as he pulled in his chair.

" Merlot?" she sighed. Oliver noted that he wasn't aware Felicity's favorite wine was merlot and that bugged him slightly.

"Yup. In the biggest glass they have!" Marc beamed at her and the other men who chuckled. Oliver wondered what the joke was.

" Oh, I don't drink much. They think I'm a tea totaller. That's the joke. " She commented to Oliver who looked interested and politely puzzled.

" I get it." he smiled back noting that point and seeing a pair of empty bottles in front of each man. When did he become so blind to her habits? The waitress in a slave Leia costume appeared and placed the glass of red wine in front of Felicity and then looked at Oliver. " Water with lemon, please." he asked and the woman walked away. The men stayed focused on Queen, instead of the barely dressed waitress. Oliver was starting to notice not so subtle the scifi vibe of the interior.

" Let your hair down Mr. Queen. We don't bite." Tom spoke, still giving Oliver the 'eye'.

"Please, call me Oliver. We all work for the same company." he soothed with his best congenial smile that always worked with corporate people.

" More like **HE** owns it!" Marc hissed in Felicity's right ear and she jabbed him hard in the ribs making him mumble something else. Bill stayed eerily quiet.

" So, who's playing tonight?" Felicity quickly changed the subject.

" It's Back in Black, an AC/DC tribute band." Bill replied nodding his head to the beat of the bass.

" Not bad, so far. The guitarist is pretty good." Tom added looking at Felicity from across the table.

Marc leaned back in his chair and stretched his arm out over the back of hers, " We were just discussing the network problems that we fixed today. What a pain. It'd be nice if we could get some upgrades in equipment so we wouldn't have to tell other departments that their phones would be down for hours at a time." The waitress deposited the glass of water with lemon on the table. Oliver took a sip and met Marc's dark eyes over that jab.

Oliver felt his body tense subconsciously, but Felicity indicated no distress, instead frowned at Marc and the other men like she was trouble shooting in her own mind. " Did you try reconfiguring the VoIP with our LAN?" They all nodded and so she launched into more technical jargon. Oliver now felt like he was in deep water and sinking fast. As they chatted on, it reminded him of physics class while the nerds were crunching calculus, he was busy trying to get out of class to meet up with a cheerleader.

Feeling uncomfortable in social settings was a new concept to him and not one he was ready to handle. Downing his water, he mumbled something about a bathroom and scooted away. Felicity was now arguing with the guys about the maintenance of and merits of VoIP versus cellular versus landline operations for voice communications and didn't see him depart right away.

Finally when she felt she had made her point and the men acquiesced, she noticed his chair was empty. " Where's your pretty boy?" Marc sneered.

" Don't call him that." She retorted hotly.

" Well watch out for those playboys. They can lead you down a wrong path." Bill added sagely.

" And if he hurts you, I'll kick his ass." Tom finished, cracking his knuckles for emphasis.

Felicity wasn't sure if she should be flattered or furious at her co-workers, " Listen to you three. You sound like a bunch of asshole jock who used to pick on us when we were younger. May I remind you, I whooped your asses at _Assassins Creed_ last month and my _Minecraft _world makes you look like _Pong _rookies."

The three friends all made a 'whoa' sound and then Bill spoke, " Gentlemen, we've been pwnd." They all nodded their heads and Tom and Bill fist bumped. Marc remained sullen. He pulled her ponytail again and whispered in her ear, " Those victories are only temporary." Felicity got goose bumps on her skin. She wasn't frightened but more curious than anything. It'd been a while since a man showed interest in her and they already had much in common.

" Well, I'm going to go find him so he doesn't think we're a bunch of antisocial tech heads." She replied breaking loose from Marc.

" But we **ARE**." Tom chided and they all laughed and waved to the waitress for more beer.


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors' Note: This is a short chapter and I'll be returning to this probably Monday (5/6) Sorry for the delay and thanks for the support! 8belles**

Nerds in Low Places ch 3

Oliver had moved a discrete distance to the bar, just enough so he couldn't hear what they were saying but he could see every move of the geek squad quartet. He felt alone without Diggle there to support him, man to man and since John had left, it made Oliver regretful. Ordering another water with lemon, he sat on the barstool and watched.

It was obvious to him that all the men respected her greatly. She lectured them, it appeared, with broad sweeping hand gestures and ticking off points on her bright coral fingertips. Her ponytail swayed with her motions and she only had to adjust her glasses once. Bill raised his hands in mock defeat several times bowing his head and Tom nodded grudgingly as she made her arguments. Queen felt himself frowning when Marc put his hand on her shoulder, or rubbed her back in sympathy apparently joining her side of the argument. Odd sociopathic thoughts ran through his head for Marc, but even Queen could tell he appreciated her and would not hurt her.

Somehow, he felt like he was watching a conductor of a famous orchestra as she used her body language to make her points. It was several minutes before she noticed he was gone, and it gave him an odd satisfied feeling when he saw her bark at the other three, who had noticed he was gone long ago, to come find him.

She stood and scanned the room and then their eyes locked like a tractor beam on the _Millennium Falcon_. Felicity walked quickly to Oliver at the darker bar area that had replicas of scifi movie props like the giant Alien in the corner, " What's wrong?" The dim light made her pupils huge and Oliver could see himself reflected in her gaze.

" Oh, just needed some space. The tech-tosterone was getting a bit thick." Oliver grumbled, trying to sound more in control.

" Oliver, they are just letting off some steam about work. You do it too, just with sticks and stuff." she replied easily punching him in the shoulder like she had done Marc. Oliver wondered if she did that to all the younger guys she knew. " Anyway, where are all your 'superior social graces' Mr. Upper crust?"

"So you brought me here just to mock me?" he retorted, turning to face her and color rising in his cheeks. His feelings were genuinely hurt.

" No. But have you listened to yourself lately?" Felicity sniffed, turning her nose up towards the ceiling.

Oliver opened his mouth then paused mid comment to think about that. Yes, he did make it very well known to her often that he was not short of cash. Was it really that annoying? " So do your geek thugs want me back or not?" he changed the subject sipping his water.

" Well, it really doesn't matter what they think because I'm the one who started our little Cantina tradition in the first place." She smiled confidently and crossed her arms over her chest.

Oliver thought she looked very cute being the warrior woman and was about to reply but not before Marc approached. A cloud passed over Queen's face. " Is everything ok here?" Marc commented and gently tugged her ponytail.

Felicity turned and smacked him playfully in the chest; " You know I don't like it when you do that!" Her tone was not serious. Marc smiled warmly at her and mocked forgiveness. Oliver was wondering if this was the merlot or if Felicity really got this frisky when away from computer monitors.

" Every thing is just _fine,_ thank you." Oliver replied with a subtext of 'leave us alone'.

" Well, I just wanted to make sure since we wouldn't want any stories of impropriety getting out to the employees." Marc replied easily and Oliver noticed he was subtly flexing his arms.

" Guys, will you just stop it?!" Felicity interjected, " Put your big boy pants on and come back to the table. Now."

" Yes, Mom." Marc said and pulled her ponytail again. Oliver just about broke his hand but restrained the impulse.


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: SORRY for the long wait. It's the end of the semester here and my work beckons me and gives me no respite. Thanks for waiting… 8belles**

Nerds in Low Places ch 4

When Oliver sat back at the table a long silence filled it while they all pretended to be listening to the new set on stage. The bar had filled up some more and Oliver noticed more men than women and the logos on their shirts were more _"Big Bang Theory_" than Ralph Lauren. Abruptly, Marc spoke looking toward Oliver, " So, how do you know Felicity?"

Felicity went to speak, but Oliver held up a hand, " No, I got this." He patted her arm under the watchful eye of Marc," We were introduced by Walter Steele." He felt Felicity's energy settle. She was afraid he'd say something rash.

" I see. So why did Felicity gain the attention of your step-father?" Marc pressed. The other two men watched warily.

" Marc, don't make us get thrown out of this bar too." Tom said quietly. Oliver was surprised that guys like these would start a bar fight.

Oliver waited patiently as the nervous glances went around the table, " Well, Ms. Smoak here is really good at what you all do, but you know that already." As he praised Felicity, she blushed and waved off the affirmations from her co-workers, " So, good work does not go unnoticed… or unrewarded." Oliver threw that bone towards the other men. Bill nodded and Tom leaned back in his chair casually. Marc stayed focused.

" But it's rude to talk about money." Felicity interjected. " Anyway, Oliver here is actually a _nice_ guy. I don't know why you all get so uptight when I make new friends." Her voice had a chastising note. The IT jocks cast their eyes down and mumbled excuses.

The music changed to the tune of "_The Emperors March_" and the crowd changed tempo and energy. " Oh I can't wait to see who's on tonight!" Tom said almost bouncing in his chair.

" What's going on?" Oliver asked Felicity, while he eyed the stage as the band was packing up.

" Oh this is a bit of a … fashion show." she replied and wrapped her hands around her glass of wine, whose volume had not changed much in the last hour or so.

An MC dressed as a Star Fleet officer stepped up to the mic and announced the nightly cosplay contest. " What's 'cosplay'?" Oliver asked Felicity again, looking slightly confused. The only fashion shows he ever went to were Victoria Secret ones with women wearing little bit more than feathers.

" Costume-play. It's for fans of science fiction and comics." Felicity said with a blush, wondering how this playboy would react. After all, he dressed up too, didn't he?

" I see." Oliver said appraisingly, " So, have you ever been up there?" The stage was a flurry of activity of people moving props and backgrounds.

" Oh, once. We were the Fantastic Four." Felicity admitted a bit bashfully, " I was the Invisible Woman. Bill was Mr. Fantastic, Tom was Thing and Marc was the Human Torch."

The guys regaled in tales of their costumes and how Tom decided to use body paint to recreate the Thing's rocky, blocky orange skin. " He used the self tanners before they worked out the orange kinks. He was a carrot for two weeks!" Marc guffawed loudly while Tom scowled at him.

" Well, at least I didn't wear some tissue paper thin jumpsuit that made you look like a-" Tom was cut off by the MC's loud announcement that all contestants should make their way to the back stage area at this time.

" It was all a good, fun time. Felicity was lovely." Bill added generously and an informal clink of glasses went around the table. Oliver began to relax.

" Do you cosplay?" Bill asked Oliver.

" Oh. Well. No. Not really. I haven't read a comic book since I was a young boy." Oliver replied amicably, smiling wide. Marc's wheels began to turn in his head and Felicity watched him carefully. Bill began a conversation with Oliver about some good titles he should check out if he was being reinitiated into the comic world. Tom joined in.

Felicity used the distraction to lean in close and say to Marc, " What do you have up your sleeve?" Her eyebrows knitted together critically.

Marc leaned in conspiratorially enjoying her proximity and whispered, " Tom still has that Captain America suit."

" No!" Felicity exclaimed wide-eyed and tried to lean back but Marc held her in with his hand.

" I think you're bud here would make a smashing Cap." Marc smiled and Felicity noticed that it was not a smile of vengeance but of playfulness," You in?"

Felicity smiled back, a twinkle in her eyes, " I think so."


	5. Chapter 5

Nerds in Low Places ch 5

Bill, Tom and Oliver chatted on about comic books when Marc got up from his seat and inserted himself between Bill and Tom, " Tom, I think I left some work in the trunk of your car."

" What work?" Tom replied quizzically.

" You know… that thing we were working on. Let me get it before I forget or have too many beers." Marc laughed congenially clapping Tom on the shoulder. He rose and followed Marc out of the bar. Felicity stifled a giggle. Bill watched her with a poker face.

When Marc and Tom were in the parking lot, Tom asked slightly annoyed, "Why are you dragging me out here?"

" You still have that Captain America cosplay?" Marc asked glancing around as if they were in some special ops game.

"Yes. You didn't like the way it looked on you. Something about not _filling it out right_?" Tom teased.

Marc slugged him the arm. **" NO**. It was not _that._" Tom chuckled at him while Marc scowled, " We want to get Queenie boy into it tonight."

Toms' eyebrows shot up, " And how do you propose to do that, Mr. Personality. I don't think you hit it off with him well tonight."

" Felicity has a plan." Marc replied while trying to look devious.

" Oh. Ok. That makes perfect sense. Not." Tom popped open the trunk to his SUV and fished out the costume with shield from underneath a pile of computer parts.

" Thanks. Get a camera ready." Marc snickered as he bundled up the outfit and hurried back inside. Tom rolled his eyes and followed his coworker.

" To a new friendship!" Bill toasted amicably to Oliver and Felicity before Tom and Marc returned. They clinked bottles and glasses around the table and each took a drink.

" This is going to be fun!" Felicity commented as she leaned in congenially to bump Oliver in the shoulder. Oliver smiled a genuine smile and it made her blush the way their eyes met. The first cosplay people were gathering at the left of the stage while the MC went over the rules: votes by applause only, no heckling except in good taste and no nudity. If they wanted that, there was a strip bar two blocks over. The crowd applauded and whistled loudly.

Marc and Tom hung back just out of sight of Oliver, but Felicity expected them. She gave a nod as the first contestants appeared. Bill and Oliver had their eyes on the stage, " Wow. I wonder if there will be any **really cut**e guys tonight." Felicity fawned.

Oliver looked at her with a strange expression. Was it hurt? He commented dryly, " Marc sure looks a catch."

Felicity swallowed caught off by his genuine disapproving tone as she teased Oliver towards wanting to wear the costume, " Oh no. I want a _real man_. Someone who likes it rough. I mean, not that way, but fights for what he wants. No that sounds wrong too." Bill was trying not to choke on his beer as she dug herself in. Oliver raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

" Ladies and Gentlemen, our first contestant the ever popular Iron Man!" the MC announced on the mic and a very stiff, wooden and much shorter Iron Man clomped out on stage. The arc reactor in the costume's chest began to blink some, which inspired some jeering from the crowd. A lukewarm applause ringed the bar. Iron Man posed a few times looking more like the Tin Man and then tromped off the other side.

Oliver said nothing but was raptly focused on the stage. Bill exchanged glances with Felicity and she smiled an innocent smile. " Next up: the Incredible Hulk!" the MC called and a barely twenty one year old lanky man in green paint and torn pants jumped on the stage and flexed. He had a long way to go. The crowd didn't give much response, so Hulk flipped them off, which elicited a few laughs and applause.

" I could pull off a better Hulk than that kid." Oliver said with a bit of pride.

" Oh really? I didn't think you were into this kind of thing, Oliver." Bill said cautiously.

" I'm not. But I'd still make a better Hulk." Oliver replied gruffly.

" I'd love to see you in green." Felicity chimed sweetly and Oliver gave her a stare of anger, then softened realizing there was no threat.

" Yeah, green is my color." He agreed and gave her a small hug around her shoulders. Her stomach did a flip and she noticed a storm cloud over Marc's head in the distance by the exit door holding the costume. He made an impatient gesture.

Up on stage appeared a Storm, who was middle aged and in a bad white wig; a octogenarian Wolverine, who ironically got the most applause probably because he had the balls to get on stage. He waved with long steel claws and then departed. Finally a Captain American, but it was an older potbellied guy.

A few heckles were called out about Cap being a bit more in shape than this version. Surprisingly, one came from Oliver " You drank your six pack, Cap!"

Felicity feigned shock, " Oliver! You really have gotten into this!"

Oliver looked at her, his eyes were sharp blue, which made her breath catch, " Well, this is ridiculous! Look at him."

" Would you do it if you had the chance? I mean I know you're a bit shy and retiring since you've been back. Well, not old enough to retire, but laid back, you know. Umm.. Captain America is a soldier, not some sneaky type and I'll stop here I think." she drank a sip of her wine and looked at Oliver over the rim of her glass.

" As you wish." Oliver said simply with the same intense stare Wesley gave Buttercup. Felicity was lost in a vacuum. Bill's voice pulled her out suddenly.

" He quotes _The Princess Bride_! Thanks be the Force. We can keep him, Felicity!" Bill laughed and hit the table with his fist.

" What serendipity! I happen to have a costume right here!" Marc walked up to the group, pulling out the outfit nestled in the shield." The men's room is right over there." Marc gestured.

Oliver looked smugly at Marc and then at the costume " Ok. I'll do it." Felicity's heart flipped again. The IT-ers tried to stifle sniggers and smiles.

Oliver departed with the costume and the guys pounced on her, " Holy shit. How did you get him to do this?" Bill asked quickly.

" I'll probably get fired." Felicity admitted feeling guilty, suddenly.

" Well maybe you'll get lucky tonight too." Tom remarked as if Felicity was 'one of the guys', which made a cloud pass over Marc's face.

" No the only getting lucky is us to see Oliver Queen humiliated in front of all of us." Marc replied tartly. Tom and Bill gave him an appraising look.

" You know, he's actually pretty cool for a **younger** man." Bill returned coolly. Marc rolled his eyes and pouted. The table grew quiet as the MC introduced a few more stragglers, mostly red shirts from Star Fleet Academy, for judging. The crowd chanted "expendable" often.

Felicity saw him first. The quilting of the converted wetsuit hugged ever inch of his upper body perfectly. The large central star seemed to shine from his chest like Liberty's torch and the shield was casually hung on his arm. The way he walked was that of a soldier, cautious but confident and she knew that was only from his ordeal on the island. The few other women in the room stopped to stare. The Slave Leia waitress almost fainted.

The blue combat pants were snug but not restrictive and his tool belt buckled snug against his waist. The helmet was not silly, but almost regal, and she could see his azure eyes easily beneath it. Red gloves that Marc had found at a garage sale fit his forearms long exercised by archery. His brown boots laced up neatly to complete the look.

" Told you I'd look better." Oliver said looking right at Felicity, who was speechless; her magenta lips parting slightly in shock.

" Not bad, Cap!" Bill congratulated him with a hearty laugh. He then looked at Marc who was not pleased at all.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I'm an "old fashioned gal" and don't like to use the "big" cusswords in my stories. While they may be authentic in some situations, I'd like to think our Arrow friends are too intelligent to get bogged down in such poor vocabulary. So if you want to mentally insert a heavier word, please feel free**.

Nerds in Low Places ch 6

" Olliver… oh, my, oh!" Felicity stammered and clutched the table feeling the world spin below her and it was not the wine causing it.

" Dude, you definitely work out. What is your secret?" Tom asked with eagerness, leaning towards Oliver.

" Nothing really. Just some cardio and weights. Usual stuff." Oliver replied casually. Bill sat back and enjoyed watching Marc fume silently, daggers shooting from his eyes towards the stunning cosplay Queen was presenting.

"Final contestants! Please make your way to the stage." The MC called and Oliver tipped a hand to the brow of his helmet in an old fashioned gesture. Felicity tried to stay calm. She really could use some cold water called John Diggle to diffuse this situation.

She watched him go, still speechless and glad she was sitting down, until she heard Marc's voice full of venom, " You like him, don't you?"

Smoak swiveled to face him, ponytail almost bristling, " And what _business_ is that of yours?"

" Yeah, Marc. Last I checked we all worked together, not dated each other. That's weird." Tom inserted.

" She works for Queen too." Marc spat back, " And I'm not jealous. Just concerned."

" Sure." Bill drawled out, crossing his arms over his chest.

" I am perfectly able to take **care** of myself. Back off or I'll stop hacking all the free crap I've gotten you over the years." Felicity shot back, frowning angrily with her magenta mouth.

Marc said nothing in reply but instead got up and decided to leave.

" Well, Monday will be a bitch." Tom said with a sigh.

" Prima donna. He's not even that good of a coder. I'm not worried." Felicity said casually as if she was waving away a fly.

" Felicity, be careful." Bill said in a fatherly tone.

" I'm ok. Really." She said trying to keep her annoyance in check.

"I'm not talking about Oliver." Bill responded and gazed towards the direction that Marc had left.

"Really, I'm ok." Felicity said feeling perfectly confident that either Digg or Oliver would be her knight in shining armor if she needed someone, preferably Oliver.

As if right on cue to diffuse the tension at the table, all the women in the room began to scream like a rock concert, as Oliver ascended the short staircase to the stage. Even the MC seemed stunned and unsure how to proceed. " Ladies and Gentlemen, I think we have a** true** American Hero here with us tonight!"

_Do we ever_, Felicity thought about all those nights he risked his life for the city. Tom and Bill did a fist bump, as they observed the response of the bar.

" I give you THE Captain America!" the MC concluded with a big booming voice and the room went wild. Oliver struck a few poses and smartphones appeared from every corner to take pictures. Flashes of light danced off his uniform and it looked like the Fourth of July.

People called out for autographs, " Chris! Chris Evans! Is that you!?" Oliver politely waved and then took off the helmet to show that he was not Chris Evans. That didn't stop the begging for autographs. He marched off the stage and back to the table that Felicity and her buddies shared as the excitement wound down and the MC concluded that yes, he had won the Friday cosplay hands down and would get a years subscription to _Popular Science_ and discount coupon to the local comic book store down the street.

" Wow. What a show!" Bill remarked at the new star of the bar.

" Thanks. That was really fun." Oliver smiled back to Bill then looked around, " Where is Captain Sourpants?"

"Who? Marc? He was a bit disgruntled at your amazing cosplay and went home." Tom replied with a bored tone then he brightened, " But you were amazing! Loved every bit of it. Ever thought of doing commercials for the comic store?"

"Well, I'll have to check with my company. They may not appreciate their future CEO endorsing other products." Oliver joked and sipped his water. He then looked at Felicity, who still sat as if entranced, " You ok?"

" Me? Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Fit as a fiddle. No problems here, no way, José!" she blinked then closed her perfectly lip sticked mouth. Oliver felt the butterflies in in his stomach churn a bit when she babbled. It was so endearing.

"I've had a fun night. After I change, would you mind driving me home, Felicity?" Oliver asked politely.

" Sure." was all she could squeak out. He smiled at her and put his hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze before retreating to the men's bathroom a small trail of women following him like sharks to blood. Felicity felt the after tingles of his fingers like electric shocks over her cardigan.

" Felicity. You _really _do like him." Tom mentioned carefully.

" It's complicated." She returned gazing everywhere but at him.

" Aren't' all you women complicated?" Bill joked and Felicity laughed to break the tension in her chest that was her heartache too.

Oliver thanked the present gentlemen for a nice night and departed with Felicity. As they opened the door to the Cantina, she saw Marc leaning on her Cooper. In his hand was a bottle of whiskey. He looked neither attractive nor sober at that point.

" Marc. Are you ok?" Felicity asked as she felt the energy charging up in Oliver's body next to her.

" Oh I'm fine alright. " Marc spat, " But how is the Captain tonight?"

"Marc, look. I'm sorry about the costume. I'll make it up to you and get you a real one?" Oliver assuaged but kept his Arrow eye on him.

" I don't want your friggen money, Queen. This is more than just showing up and putting on a costume. It's a way of LIFE. And you just think you can come in here and bust up our happy group and put moves on my girl!" Marc swaggered towards Oliver, throwing the bottle down on the pavement.

" I am NOT your girl, Marc." Felicity said hotly.

Marc turned to face her, " But you want to be. I know it."

" Hell no I don't!" she replied angrily, " Now get the hell away from my car and go home. Call a cab."

Marc didn't reply but lunged out for Felicity's hand. Like lightening, Oliver intercepted it and bent his wrist painfully backward making him drop to his knees, hissing in agony. Leaning in close to his face, Queen said, " Do as the lady says. Maybe I'll spare you your job… and your hand." Marc's mouth moved soundlessly but he relented.

Both of them stepped around the drunken man, who was rubbing his wrist and muttering curses under his breath. Hopping in the car, Felicity jammed the transmission in to drive and spun out of the parking lot.

The ride home was quiet for both of them. Besides Marc's stupidity, it was if that cosplay exposed a part of both of them they had been hiding for a long time. When someone decided to speak, it was Felicity," Thanks for coming out with me tonight."

" You're welcome. Anytime." Oliver said evenly, looking out the windshield trying to not let what he really wanted to say out.

" And thanks for taking care of Marc. You were a real hero. " She replied, hands gripping the wheel a bit too tight.

" Hero. No, I'm not that." He said with a tinge of sadness as the Island nibbled at the edge of his consciousness.

" To me you are." She admitted softly, daring a glance. When she did, she saw him looking at her. Quickly, she turned her eyes back to the road.

Silence filled the car_. Felicity, you stupid fool_, she berated herself. _You are strong, intelligent and you don't date cops, firemen, military or…. Vigilantes. They sacrifice too… much._

Oliver respected her silence and kept it. He thought of anything else except that he wanted to protect her, be with her, hang out with her… kiss her. _Laurel, Laurel, Laurel_, he chanted in his head. _She got you off that island_. But every time he imagined Laurel's face, she had blond hair and green eyes.

Verdant was a live wire as Felicity drove down to the underground loading dock, feeling the base through the roof of her car. Parking, she turned off the ignition and sat for a moment. Oliver paused too because he didn't want to leave her presence.

"I had a great time." They said simultaneously and then laughed at each other. It was a happy sound to both their ears.

Oliver cleared his throat, " Well, being this was not a date, I want to say thanks for taking this billionaire guy out for a normal night. " Felicity winced a bit as he called it 'not a date'.

" If you call drinking ice water, donning a costume and brawling 'normal', you're welcome. Glad I could ground you a bit more in the common man experience." She replied uneasily. " I'll see you tomorrow night."

Before Oliver exited the car, he said, "Felicity." She looked at him innocently and he leaned in, placing a small kiss on her cheek. She could feel his stubble graze her skin and smell his shampoo, " I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

Exiting the car, Felicity found herself touching the spot he had just kissed with his lips. She watched him punch in the code and disappear behind the Lair door. Maybe she would have to make an exception for this Vigilante. If he liked the Nerd in her, maybe she could find a space for him. Maybe.

Fin


End file.
